


4.) Fire is a Bad Master

by PerfectLittleKing



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: F/M, M/M, POV First Person, Round Robin, Sharing Clothes, Watford Fifth Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 03:39:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19165069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectLittleKing/pseuds/PerfectLittleKing
Summary: Penelope's been worried, since Simon hasn't talked about his favourite topic in a while. The issue was, there wasn't much time today during breakfast since class started soon. Magic Words.





	4.) Fire is a Bad Master

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 4 of the Carry Round Robin. Prompt is stated in the tags. Hopefully you all enjoy it!!

**Penelope**

It’s been a few days since the last time Simon had broached about Basil. I could state that I have been enjoying meals about the block, but it’s worrying me. One day about discussing him is fine, but three days? It’s completely out of the ordinary for Simon. At least he’s focusing more on his studies, so there’s a benefit of this.

I’ve noticed that he no longer has any dark circles under his eyes anymore. Must mean he’s been getting sleep lately and not spending every night stalking his roommate. He’s been spending more time with Agatha and I, which could explain why he’s more fixated on his classes.

This morning, Simon seemed to be running late to breakfast. I had grabbed himself a plate full of scrambled eggs, bangers, and two scones with a side of butter. Though, I was thinking he would be here on time. I sat across from Agatha,  who was more focused on a Magic Words assignment, than her breakfast. I couldn't help but notice that she was working on tomorrow's homework.

I decided to speak up since the silence felt awkward.

“You’ve noticed anything weird with Simon, Agatha?” I asked before taking a bite of toast with jam.

She barely looked up towards me when she answered. “Less stalking on Basil?”

I gave a nod.  “So I’m not the only one…” I didn't mean for it to slip out. Though, I’m glad I’m not the only one noticing Simon’s changed behaviour.

“I see no problem with it actually.” She seemed to smile, but it faltered for a moment.

I hadn’t realised why until I saw Simon take the seat right next to Agatha. A smile was growing on him as he noticed his breakfast, hopefully it hadn’t gone cold.

“Morning Pen, Agatha.” Simon didn’t even take a second to breath between his words and shoveling his eggs into his mouth.

“Morning, Simon.” I was glad he was still eating, but I reckon he could still catch the plague and still have an appetite.

It was mostly silent when Simon ate his breakfast. A smear of butter getting on the corner of his mouth, but was soon cleaned off by Agatha, who wiped it away. How could Agatha smile doing that? She seemed like a mother to a child wiping the butter from Simon’s lips. I know I don’t have a say much in their relationship, but I feel like they don’t fit well in their puzzling life. The more I spend time with them, the more it sickens me.

By the time Simon finished, we had about ten minutes until our first class of the day. We all have different classes, so we had to go our separate ways. I’m still worried about Simon.

 

**Baz**

I’m quite glad neither of us, Snow or I, has spoken of our icy night alone in our room. It’s still exceedingly embarrassing. Warmth grows in my cheeks every time I think of how we bundled up in my bed so close together. Even our legs were a tangled mess. It’s something I would dream of, hell I have, but for it to actually happen feels impossible.

Luckily, I have been fortunate that my studies and football practice has filled me with time away from Snow. The only time we see each other now is classes and when we are both in the room. Neither of us has spoken a word of that night or any of the days. If we do speak, it’s an inflamed remark at each other, which I regret sometimes. Slowly, we are getting back into our routine.

As of now, my focus has been on the current class, Magic Words. Miss Possibelf was projecting a model of the classroom on the blackboard.

“Now, for this assignment,” she started to say. “You will need to get into a group of three.”

She waved her wand over the model as she said, “ **Reveal the hidden**.” Which had caused names appear the model of the classroom. New seating arrangement. “Now these seats are only for this project. Now get into your assigned groups.”

I grabbed my bag and glanced up towards the diagram. Scanning every desk, I looked for my name. The desk in the back corner of the classroom had my name written down. I took another glance to check who I was working with. Niall. That was fine with me. I knew one of my group mates. This was going well. The other was…

No.

I was stuck with Snow? If only I could ask Miss Possibelf for a change, but she was never one to bend the rules, especially her own. Wonderful. I made my way to my new assigned seat.

Niall was already sitting there, since that was his original assigned desk. The issue was, he didn’t have a chair next to him, so I was stuck to sitting next to Snow during this lesson. I placed my bag between the table and my chair before sitting down. Once Snow had sat down to the right of me, I shot him a glare. Dark, slightly deadly. Usually those kept him quiet, so I hope it works today.

“Now, we will be working on chapter two section seven. Page 173. The objective is to light the candle in the middle of your desk. Your group mates are there for support. Take turns trying to cast it. If you get it to light, please use ‘ **Make a wish** ’ to extinguish the flame.” Professor Possibelf said. “You may begin.”

Fear soon blanketed me. It wasn’t the topic, I was virtuoso magician when it came to fire, that got me unease. What concerned me was Snow. I could deal with being paired up with Snow with an assignment. The idea of Snow casting a fire spell next to me is a recipe for disaster. Not only was Snow the worst magician ever, but I’m actually flammable. I grabbed a glimpse of Snow, who was on edge. The nerve of him being nervous of this, that bloody git. I tried to keep my posture.

I ran my hand through my hair to clear my head. Niall was the first to cast one of the spells from the book that we had opened between us three. He stretched his wand out and pointed it to the yellow tinted candle that sat on the table. His eyes jumped from the book to the candle every so often as he tried to remember the spell.

“ **Fire starts with sparks**.” He exclaimed confidently as sparks shot from the end of his wand to the candle's wick. A few of them had jumped into his notes, only singeing the paper on it's edges.

Simon seemed to let out a soft chuckle seeing the sparks jump. I only shot him a glower. How dare he laugh at Niall. Though, I must say, his spell work was a bit sloppy. Better than Snow’s, I can foretell.

Niall extinguished the flame on the candle and patted down his notes. Smoke rose from the wick of the candle, but the flame was suppressed. A soft sigh came from him.

“It was an adequate attempt, Niall.” I spoke with a slight of appraisal. Not like me, but it was only to get Snow rivaled up.

This time it was my turn. I ran my free hand through my hair once more to get the loose bangs out of my eyes. My right hand stretched out and my wand pointed to the candle. There was no glancing at the book or second guessing. I had read this chapter before, so I knew which ones were listed or not.

“ **Where there is smoke, there is fire**.” I delivered the incantation perfectly. The smoke that came from the previous flame had blossomed into a new flame. The flame was flickering strong on the candle thanks to my magic. The spell only works if there is smoke from a previous flame.

Niall and Snow seemed a bit surprised, more Snow than Niall. Niall had given a nod of praise towards me.  I guess seeing my performance left Simon stupefied with his mouth agape. I had to give an eye roll from seeing that.

“You’ll catch flies like that.” I smirked before eliminating the flame on the candle.

 

**Simon**

It shocked me to see Baz being able to pull off that sort of spell. I glanced down to the textbook to notice that was one of the more difficult ones. Then again, he did tell me that’s how he does magic; by imagining lighting a match inside him.

Now it was my turn. I swallowed back my panic. Magic has never been my strong suit, so holding my wand felt unbalanced. What made it worse was Baz and Niall were looking at me like I was about to burn the school down. I was looking at a few of the different spells. I didn’t want to be the one to do a toddler level one, but also I wasn’t brave enough to attempt at one of the mastery ones.

“We don’t have all day, Snow. Pick a spell.” Baz’s words were laced with more hatred than usual.

These couple of weeks has caused our relationship (can I even call it that?) to be more unclear than ever. Before I was able to somewhat understand what Baz’s gestures meant, but now it’s all a murky puddle. Nothing is making sense. Now he’s being crueler than ever. Guess that’s what I get for cuddling him the other night and questioning his gestures from the other.

I stumble back to reality and reply to Baz. “Okay.. okay..” It was all I could mumble out before picking out one of the middle difficulty spells.

With my wand pointed to the candle, I spoke the spell as best as I could. “ **Fire is a good servant, but a bad master**.”

I didn’t see any flames or sparks burst from my wand, but immediately  felt heat burning on my chest after I said the spell. I hissed out from pain and dropped my wand. I had looked down and noticed my blazer and shirt doused in dancing orange flames.

“ **Make a wish**!” I heard coming from my left. Baz. His tone was angered. “You absolute twat! How can you even save the world if you can’t even whole your wand right?” His eyes weren’t towards mine as he spoke. No, they were staring at my chest.

I wondered why Baz was looking at my chest, so I let my eyes follow to there. My clothes were scorched and practically showing more skin than I wished. The whole right side of my blazer was ash. I hadn’t worn my jumper today, which I’m thankful, but my shirt was blackened and partly missing in places.

Niall, who apparently left the table when I rang the spell out, was coming over with Professor Possibelf. A disappointed look rested on her features.

“Mr. Pitch, since you have your jumper on, may you loan it to Mr. Snow for the rest of the class?” She suggested.

Those grey eyes of his seemed to jump open. He parted his lips like he wanted to protest, but the look on Miss Possibelf wouldn’t let it happen. Soon, Baz was taking off his blazer and placing it, slightly folded, on the table. Half of the class was watching him tug that ruby red jumper off. The white button up shirt seemed to be pulled up as well a bit. A bit of his stomach was shown. (I swore I heard a whistle.)

“Here.” He practically threw the jumper at me with all his strength.

My eyes stared at him. Once he had turned back to put his blazer back on, I glanced down at his jumper.  It was strong of the smell of Baz. I intoxicated by the bold cedar and bergamot and I didn't have to put it on.

 

**Baz**

He completely ruined his uniform and before he could put on my jumper he had to take off his tattered one. First he tossed the blackened blazer that on his bag, then unbuttoned the white collar shirt. This was the closest I ever gotten to watch Snow undress. I had to pull my eyes away from the sight.

I tried to distract myself with the textbook, but I kept finding my glaze slipping back to Snow. He wasn’t the fittest bloke, but he still had some definition. It wasn’t muscle. I shook away everything and started to write my notes from this section.

Once Snow finished undressing, he sat down with my jumper on. It seemed a bit tight around his shoulders, but long on the sleeves. Guess I have longer arms than him.

“Uh… thanks…” He mumbled softly.

Why thank me? Forced by the professor to give him my sweater. I ignored his voice and decided to act like he was invisible, but it was difficult. He was wearing my jumper. I wasn’t too fond of him wearing my clothes. He’s going to stretch the damn thing out. I would have rather worn his, but I don’t need anymore fuel for my dreams. This month has already been giving me enough.

The rest of the class was quiet. Snow didn’t seem to talk for once, thank Crowley. Miss Possibelf had changed topics and made us work on taking notes on the book. Guess she didn’t wish for another student to go up in flames.

Once bell rang to dismiss class, Miss Possibelf tried to remind everyone of the homework. I doubt anyone heard her. I grabbed my bag and was about to walk to Latin with Niall, but I heard a voice call out my name.

“Baz! Baz, wait!” It was Snow. Of course. What else did he want to do to me? I was already getting chilly without the jumper. I don’t need another example of how cold I can get.

“What is it Snow?” I asked, glaring towards him. I need to be getting to class right now. “Say it quick.” I added.

“Uh.. did you… I’m just…” He was a stuttering mess. This was a disaster.

“Snow, spit it out or I will take it from you.”

“I just wanted to ask… did you want me to uh… I can just place your jumper on your bed during lunch.” He seemed to be meddling with the hem.

“Whatever. Just don’t burn this one.” I turned on my heels and headed after Niall towards our class.

Part of me would want to burn the jumper, but I knew when he takes it off it’s going to smell like him. It’s going to smell of his magic, his smoke. It’s going to smell like a campfire, and I wanted it to. Maybe that’s why I want to borrow his clothes. I want to smell his smoky, sticky, magic.


End file.
